zprostedkovávaly

The word "zprostředkovávaly" is the past tense plural imperfective form of the Czech verb "zprostředkovat." This verb generally translates to "to mediate," "to facilitate," "to arrange," or "to act as an intermediary." Therefore, "zprostředkovávaly" describes actions performed by multiple subjects in the past that involved mediating, facilitating, or arranging something.

The imperfective aspect of the verb suggests an ongoing, repeated, or unfinished action in the past. So, if one were to say "Obchodníci zprostředkovávaly kontakty" (The merchants were mediating contacts), it would imply a continuous or habitual process of them establishing connections. Conversely, the perfective counterpart, "zprostředkovaly," would typically denote a completed action, such as "Obchodníci zprostředkovali kontakty" (The merchants mediated contacts), implying the task was finished.

The grammatical form "zprostředkovávaly" specifically refers to a feminine or neuter plural subject or a mixed-gender group. For example, "Důvěryhodné osoby zprostředkovávaly jednání" (Trustworthy individuals were mediating the negotiations) would use this form if the "důvěryhodné osoby" were primarily female or a mix of genders where the feminine form is conventionally used. The context in which this word appears is crucial for understanding the precise nature of the mediation or facilitation being described.